Food and drink businesses in Wales are being urged to look beyond the UK market and take advantage of the support available to help them export.
Industry leaders told Business News Wales’ Food and Drink podcast that failing to do so risks producers missing out on major growth opportunities.
The Welsh food and drink export market is currently worth around £850 million a year, with exports rising by more than 40 per cent in value between 2019 and 2024.
While much of that increase reflects food price inflation, Rhys Llywelyn, who manages the Welsh Government Food and Drink Export Cluster, said the underlying trend remains strong.
“The food and drink export market for Wales is pretty buoyant,” he said, pointing particularly to continued demand from the EU, which remains the largest destination for Welsh produce.
Rhys emphasised that success requires preparation and strategy. He warned against producers relying on chance enquiries from overseas buyers, saying it was vital to prioritise markets and focus investment where it would count. Exporting, he added, was a “long burn” that needed sustained commitment rather than quick wins.
Hilltop, the Mid Wales honey producer founded in 2011, has expanded rapidly and recently moved into two new sites in Newtown, taking capacity to more than 30,000 tonnes a year. The investment has created efficiencies which have enabled the company to compete internationally, with growing sales into the Middle East, Europe and the United States.
Jack Davies, Hilltop’s Head of Out of Home Sales, said the efficiencies gained in production had allowed the business to become more competitive on a global scale.
He explained that the company’s strong e-commerce model in the UK had helped open doors in the US, where it now works with Amazon and is supplying Aldi America.
He acknowledged, however, that tariffs in the US had created barriers, adding that support from the export cluster had helped the company navigate unexpected challenges.
Rachel’s Organic has been exporting for 18 years, with the Middle East its first market. International trade manager Anita Richards described export as “a very important part of our business”, saying it helped safeguard jobs at the dairy in Aberystwyth and reduced reliance on a domestic market that could be volatile.
She credited international trade shows such as Gulfood in Dubai with helping Rachel’s maintain its position as the number one imported premium organic yoghurt in the region.
But she stressed that success was only possible through patience and persistence. Relationships often take years to develop, and require repeat visits and long-term investment.
“There are no instant wins with export,” Anita said.
For Calon Wen, a cooperative of 25 family-run organic farms, exporting since 2017 has been about spreading risk beyond a UK retail market dominated by a handful of major supermarkets.
Commercial and operations director Stuart McNally said the support available in Wales had been critical.
“Without Welsh Government support we would never have got into exporting,” he said.
Stuart explained that preparation was essential, and that producers needed to understand both the opportunities and the pitfalls of different markets before committing. He pointed to examples where Calon Wen had run into difficulties with changing regulations, including a failed attempt to access the US because of differences in organic standards. These experiences, he said, had reinforced the importance of research and market insight before making investments.
Wales offers significant support to help businesses succeed internationally, from funded market research and trade missions to in-market development visits and buyer showcases, the podcast heard.
The Welsh Government Food and Drink Export Cluster offers advice on labelling, certification and paperwork, while also connecting producers with distributors and hosting webinars on specific markets and signposting to further support.
Listen to the Food and Drink podcast episode Taking Welsh Food and Drink Global here.
Find out more about the support on offer to Welsh food and drink producers here.
